It is no surprise that Lake County derives its name from Lake Erie, Lake County was founded in 1840 and has seen its population grow steadily from just under 14,000 to nearly a quarter of a million residents. Of those near-quarter million residents, only 63,634 live in the various townships located throughout Lake County. It is worth noting that only 228 of the 979 square miles of Lake County are covered in land most of the year, and that inclement weather and airborne moisture often create difficult driving conditions.
Despite the comparatively large population and adverse driving conditions present in Lake County, the total number of traffic accidents on file is actually on the lower side of the spectrum. In 2007, only 1,269 total traffic accidents were recorded in Lake County, while 2008 saw another 1,299 traffic accidents go on the Lake County books. What is most impressive about these figures is that despite a slight overall increase in total traffic accidents, there were actually less year to year traffic related fatalities reported countywide, with 6 during 2007 and only 3 on file during 2008.
There are only five townships that routinely show up in the Ohio Department of Public Safety records in Lake County: Concord, with 15,282 residents, Leroy with 3,122 residents, Madison with 18,428 residents, county seat Painesville with 18,562 residents, and Perry with 8,240 residents. The fact that all of these townships are relatively large should produce relatively stable and reliable figures. Furthermore, the fact that both Painesville and Madison have comparable populations should allow for a near apples-to-apples comparison between the two.
Comparing the traffic accident rates between Painesville and Madison produces some interesting results almost immediately. In 2007, the Township of Madison reported 301 total traffic accidents to Painesville’s 271. Furthermore, the roads of Painesville went traffic-fatality free in 2007 and 2008, while Madison recorded two traffic-related fatalities in 20077 and another single traffic-related fatality in 2008. It is also worth pointing out that 2008 saw another 344 traffic accidents go on the books in Madison while only 294 traffic accidents made their way onto the books of Painesville.
Even stranger than these facts is that the smaller population center of Concord actually led Lake County both years in terms of overall traffic accidents and traffic-related fatalities in both 2007 and 2008. With 406 traffic accidents on record in 2007, including half of the 6 countywide fatalities, as well as 391 traffic accidents and a single traffic related fatality on file in 2008, Concord is easily one of the most dangerous township in Lake County on a per capita basis.
The most dangerous place for motorist in Lake County on a per capita basis is arguably the small Township of Leroy. With 116 traffic accidents on file in 2007, including a single traffic-related fatality and another 131 fatality-free traffic accidents in 2008, the Township of Leroy is a very dangerous place for motorists in Lake County. It may also be worth noting that the Township of Perry has the higher per capita alcohol-related traffic incidents in the county, with 7 on file in 2007 and another 7 in 2008.
If you’ve been seriously injured or have lost a loved one in a Concord Township, Madison Township, or Painesville truck / car accident, call the Lake County auto accident and wrongful death attorneys / lawyers at Chester Law Group at 800-218-4243 or order your FREE BOOK entitled The Insider’s Guide to Handling Ohio Accident Claims at www.ChesterLaw.com.